Maplestory One Shot - Why
by Yoshumari Korisuno
Summary: A one shot inspired by the Art of Koyo-adorkabowl of Deviant Art.


Why…

She had tried everything that she could think of, battling against hundreds, no thousands of his soldiers and still he came as though he were brushing aside a lock of hair. As a last ditch effort, she ran to her teenage daughter Rhinne's room to grab her and escape from her home, the Temple of Time, but she was too late.

When Ariel burst through the doors, _he_ was already standing next to her bed, gently brushing his finger across her cheek as she slept.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Ariel screamed, holding her hand out as a flame roared to life in her hand only to be stifled when he appeared before her, grabbing her wrist with leisurely speed and locking eyes with her, malevolent whispers hanging in the air around them.

"Mother? What's wrong?" Rhinne asked, waking from her slumber when she saw the black cloaked figure standing before her mother, gripping her wrist so hard that her hand was turning white.

"LET HER GO!" Rhinne screamed, throwing the covers off and readying an attack spell.

"RHINNE, STOP!" Ariel commanded, instantly making Rhinne stand down.

"Were you honestly going to break your promise to me?" The man asked placidly. Rhinne looked to Ariel with questions burning in her eyes.

"You would use her for such a deed?" Ariel asked in return, making the man smirk as he eased his grip on Ariel's wrist.

"You and I both know what our contract says. Weren't you the one that said this would be the best course of action?" he asked, brushing her long, battle tangled red hair from her face with the backs of his fingers. Ariel tried to pull away, but he followed her every move, and his pressing presence made it hard to move.

"Mother? What does he mean? What deal did you make?" Rhinne asked, fear settling into her heart, hearing the sounds of battle raging within the temple. When a particularly strong explosion shook the temple, Rhinne ran to the balcony that over looked the rest of the temple, horrified to see soldiers in black armor warring with the Knights of the Temple.

"You promised that her power would never be used for personal gain." Ariel seethed, looking the man in his eyes under his cloak, standing out like torches against his pale skin.

"I never made such a promise: if you recall, the contract which we both drew up states that his or her power would be used to better the world we live in when she came of age." The man said, flipping his hand down as a scroll unraveled to a paragraph revealing to Ariel exactly the phrase he so heinously remembered.

"Why… Why would you want to destroy it all? There is such beauty here." Ariel cried as the man reached up to cup her jaw, stopped by Ariel grabbing his wrist.

"This world has become too corrupt to save as it is. All must be wiped clean to start again." He said, tilting his head to the side, almost as if he too were sad that it had to be done.

"But why her? Do you know what such an act will turn her into?" Ariel begged, looking away from the man that stood before her until he gently reached up to the hair on the side of her head and gripped it so hard, so quickly that it made her yelp as he turned her head to face him.

"It will create in her the power to be the leader she was always meant to be. Now let our daughter come with me to fulfill what she was always meant to be." the man hissed, obviously holding back a great deal as he spoke through clenched teeth.

"I will never hand her over to you Corus!" Ariel swallowed, glaring at him from over her cheeks, making the man chuckle.

"I've long since discarded that name and dubbed myself, The Black Mage. Now, let her know her father, and the truth of her destiny." The Mage hissed, slowly easing his grip on Ariel's hair, following her as she walked to Rhinne who stood in a horrified trance on the balcony. Ariel pulled her eyes from the battle below, facing her fully and brushing a few locks of her silvery hair back.

"Mother? What's happening? Why are the Knights fighting?" She asked, since she had never seen the terror of war, and certainly not when that war included the Knights of the Temple.

"They fight for you, my child." Ariel answered mournfully, trying to hold back her tears and keep a pleasant face.

"Why?"

"Because you are important, and there is someone that is trying to take you."

"Is it him?" Rhinne asked, shying away from The Mage slightly as she looked his way.

"No, he will keep you safe." Ariel lied, straightening Rhinne's robes.

"Mother, I don't want to go." She begged, as Ariel sighed a ragged breath, spying a sand glass on a table behind Rhinne. With understanding tears in her eyes, she wrapped her arms around Rhinne and held her for a long while.

"I know, my child. I know… I'm going to miss you." She whispered. The Mage felt a rise in power surge through the air, following its path to see the Sand Glass rise from the table and shoot over to Ariel's hand.

"Ariel! NO!" He shouted, running forward to stop her just as Ariel teleported away in a flash of light. The Mage stumbled a bit as he caught his footing, closing his eyes too feel where it was they had gone.

* * *

Ariel appeared in a room deep within the temple, grabbing Rhinne's hand and leading her to the center of the room.

"What what are you doing?! You said that I was going to be safe with him." she asked. Ariel worked as quickly as she could, casting a strong spell over the sand glass.

"I'm sorry I lied Rhinne, but I had to make him think that he was going to take you." Ariel answered, finalizing the spell and turning to Rhinne with tears staining her eyes.

"I'm going to make sure that you stay safe, as will everyone in Ossyria. Please, forgive me Rhinne." Ariel cried, shoving the Sand Glass into Rhinne's chest, instantly making her feel sleepy as she floated into the air and clutched the sand glass as though it were a baby. When Ariel was sure that the spell had taken effect, she knelt to the ground and used every last ounce of mana she had to create a strong barrier while lights rose up and shot through the barrier into Rhinne from the ground far below. With one final chant, Ariel finalized the barrier and was tossed aside as The Mage appeared behind her with a sweep of his hand.

"What have you done to her?" The Mage asked with a torrid tone, walking up to the barrier to bring it down only to be dismayed when the barrier scorched the flesh on his hand instead.

"I've placed her in a state of eternal slumber." Ariel grunted, reaching back for her leg which was twisted in an unnatural angle.

"I suppose then I'll simply take her power." The Mage answered, holding up his hand as Black Magic swirled unto existence and began to penetrate the barrier only to be thrown out.

"You've done your work will Ariel my love." The Mage smiled, clenching his burned hand and cracking his knuckles.

"You will _never_ succeed. So long as she remains asleep, the entirety of her power is being used to create a world where everyone remains safe." Ariel hissed through clenched teeth. The Mage only smiled, turning back to the sleeping Rhinne and chuckling to himself.

"You do realize that this is nothing more than a minor delay Ariel: your efforts will not save our daughter from what destiny has chosen her for. If I can't wake her from her slumber here, then perhaps all that needs be done is destroy the world created in her dream." The Mage smiled, holding up his hand to the barrier once more, and closing his eyes as his black power gently flared around him and up his arm, surrounding Rhinne as she slept, delving through what felt as if it were time itself.

* * *

_The Black Mage was born as other men…_


End file.
